Chapter 16 – Social Environment
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16. Social Environment Contents 16. Social Environment 16-1 16.1. Introduction 16-1 16.2. Method of Assessment 16-1 16.3. SIA Study Area 16-2 16.4. Consultation 16-4 16.5. Revised Project Overview 16-7 16.5.1. Revised Project Workforce 16-7 16.5.2. Workforce Accommodation 16-10 16.5.3. Hours of Operation 16-10 16.6. Social policy framework 16-10 16.6.1. Draft Regional and Resource Towns Action Plan 16-10 16.6.2. Resources Skills and Employment Plan 16-11 16.6.3. Major Resource Projects Housing Policy 16-11 16.6.4. Sustainable Resource Communities Policy 16-12 16.6.5. Toowoomba Regional Council Community Plan 16-12 16.6.6. Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme 2012 16-13 16.7. Existing social environment 16-13 16.7.1. Regional Context 16-14 16.7.2. Local Context 16-14 16.7.3. Acland 16-16 16.7.4. Existing Resource Development Projects in region 16-17 16.8. Population and Demography 16-17 16.8.1. Population and Growth 16-17 16.8.2. Non-Resident Population 16-18 16.8.3. Age and Gender Profile 16-19 16.8.4. Cultural Diversity 16-20 16.8.5. Indigenous Community 16-21 16.8.6. Families and Households 16-21 16.8.7. Education 16-21 16.9. Employment and Income 16-22 16.9.1. Labour Force Participation and Unemployment 16-22 16.9.2. Employment by Industry 16-24 16.9.3. Employment by Occupation 16-24 16.9.4. Income Levels 16-25 16.9.5. Advantage and Disadvantage 16-25 16.9.6. Need for Assistance 16-26 16.10. Housing and Accommodation 16-26 16.10.1. Dwelling Type and Tenure 16-26 16.10.2. Housing Costs 16-27 16.10.3. Rental Accommodation and Vacancy Rates 16-28 16.10.4. Social Housing 16-29 New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 Project – Environmental Impact Statement PAGE i 16.10.5. Temporary Accommodation 16-29 16.11. Community Values 16-30 16.11.1. Amenity and Cohesion 16-30 16.11.2. Environment and agriculture 16-31 16.11.3. Transport and access 16-32 16.12. Community Safety 16-32 16.13. Health 16-33 16.14. Social Infrastructure 16-34 16.14.1. Regional Social Infrastructure 16-34 16.14.2. Education 16-34 16.14.3. Employment and Training 16-36 16.14.4. Sport, Recreation and Leisure 16-36 16.14.5. Health and emergency services 16-37 16.15. Summary of the Social Environment 16-40 16.16. Impact Assessment 16-40 16.16.1. Property and Land Use 16-40 16.16.2. Population and demography 16-42 16.16.3. Housing and Accommodation 16-45 16.16.4. Employment and training 16-47 16.16.5. Economy, Local Business and Industry 16-50 16.16.6. Social Infrastructure 16-52 16.16.7. Access and connectivity 16-54 16.16.8. Amenity 16-55 16.16.9. Community Health and Safety 16-57 16.16.10. Community values 16-59 16.16.11. Revised Project workforce 16-62 16.16.12. Cumulative impacts 16-63 16.16.13. Revised Project Decommissioning 16-64 16.17. Summary of Impacts 16-66 16.18. Summary of Mitigation Measures 16-68 16.19. Conclusion 16-74 New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 Project – Environmental Impact Statement PAGE ii 16. Social Environment 16.1. Introduction This Chapter provides an assessment of the social benefits and impacts of the revised Project, including potential changes resulting from the construction, operation and decommissioning phases. Mitigation measures are also identified to maximise benefits and minimise impacts on local and regional communities. 16.2. Method of Assessment Social Impact Assessment (SIA) involves analysing, monitoring and managing the social consequences of development (IAIA, 2003). Key steps in the assessment include: scoping the likely range of potential social impacts of the revised Project’s construction, operation and decommissioning for local and regional affected communities; describing the existing social environment, including: – key population and demographic characteristics of local and regional communities; – social infrastructure, such as housing, education, health services and recreation; and – local community values, including those relating to such things as amenity, community cohesion and community safety. assessment of the potential social impacts of the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the revised Project including effects on property owners, local and regional residents, social infrastructure, community values and the revised Project workforce; and identification of mitigation strategies to maximise community benefits and avoid, manage or minimise adverse social impacts. The description of the social environment has drawn on data and information from: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census of Population and Housing 2011 and other relevant ABS data; data from other Queensland Government and non-government organisations, including the Queensland Government Statistician on demography, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) on employment and the Queensland Rental Tenancies Authority on rental trends; TRC website; information sourced from interviews with key stakeholders as outlined in Section 16.4; and broader community consultation undertaken for the EIS and the revised Project generally. New Acland Stage 3 Coal Mine Project – Environmental Impact Statement PAGE 16-1 16.3. SIA Study Area In order to comprehensively identify the existing demographic profile and social characteristics of the revised Project’s surrounding areas and the potential extent of impacts and opportunities, this SIA has assessed a local study area and region. However, the assessment also considers nearby communities of interest. The local study area for the SIA comprises the ABS defined Postal Areas of 4401 and 4403 (the SIA study area) as depicted in Figure 16-1. The SIA study area considers the revised Project’s social and cultural area of influence and the location of potentially affected social infrastructure and includes those communities that are expected to experience changes as a result of the revised Project’s construction, operation and/or decommissioning. The SIA study includes local communities located closest to the Mine that may experience changes associated with the revised Project, namely: Oakey; Acland; Jondaryan; Muldu; and Quinalow. The assessment has also considered communities located further from the Mine that are likely to experience indirect impacts or beneficial outcomes such as employment and training, namely: Maclagan; Goombungee; and Kulpi. The demographic profiling for these communities is included in the TRC statistics. In addition, potential impacts and opportunities affecting these communities are considered as appropriate. The revised Project is located in the TRC area, which is located in the Darling Downs region of Southern Queensland. The TRC area is located approximately 130 km west of Brisbane and comprises the former shires of Millmerran, Pittsworth, Cambooya, Clifton, Rosalie and Crows Nest and the City of Toowoomba. The assessment also considers impacts on the wider TRC area. The SIA study area is located in the Clarence-Moreton Basin. The Basin covers an area of approximately 16,000 km2 , extending from the far north east of New South Wales to the south east corner of Queensland. For reporting purposes, the Federal and State Governments typically include the Clarence-Moreton Basin with data for the Surat Basin, an area of approximately 110,000 km, and including the LGAs of Toowoomba, Western Downs and Maranoa Regional Councils (DSDIP 2013). As such, many of the State’s policies, frameworks, strategies and data relevant to the Surat Basin include the areas within the Clarence-Moreton Basin such as the Toowoomba LGA. The Clarence-Moreton Basin comprises a range of land-use types and industries, including agriculture, defence, manufacturing and industrial development, and some resource activity. 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